Technical Service Report
Hibiclens® Antiseptic Skin Preparation
Hibiclens is the registered trademarked name of a skin antiseptic originally marketed by
Stuart Pharmaceuticals, now owned by Regent Medical. However the same material is
now available under a wide variety of trade names. The active ingredient that should be
noted on the label is chlorhexidine gluconate, although there are other chemical names
that are used that mean the same thing. Some of the trade names associated with this
material include: Bacticlens, Corsodyl, Dyna-hex, Hibidil, Hibicare, Hibiscrub, Hibisol,
Hibitane, Hibistat, Orahexal, Peridex, pHisoMed, PlacOut, Pluexid, Rotersept, and
Unisept.
The chemical synonyms for chlorhexidine gluconate are: 1,1'-Hexamethylenebis(5-(pchlorophenyl)biguanide)di-D-gluconate; 1,1'-Hexamethylenebis [5-(p-chlorophenyl)
biguanide] digluconate; 2,4,11,13-Tetraazatetradecanediimidamide, N, N'-bis(4chlorophenyl)-3,12-diimino-,di-D-gluconate; Chlorhexidine digluconate; Chlorhexidine
digluconate, 20% w/v in water; Chlorhexidine gluconate; D-Gluconic acid, compd. with
N,N''-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-3,12-diimino-2,4,11,13-tetraazatetradecanediimidamide (2:1);
Gluconic acid, compd with N,N''-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-3,12-diimino-2,4,11,13tetraazatetradecanediimidamide (2:1); Hexamethylene bis(5-(4-chlorophenyl)biguanide)
digluconate; Tetraazatetradecanediimidamide, N,N''-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-3,12-diimino, diD-gluconate.
Hibiclens is used in hospitals to sanitize skin and the product imparts pink stains on the
fabric it comes in contact with. This popular product can stain flatwork and towels from a
hospital department and not be detected in the laundry. If Hibiclens stains are washed
in a white work wash formula with chlorine bleach, the Hibiclens oxidizes to a permanent
dark brown or black stain. Considerable research has been done to find a method that
will remove this oxidized stain with no success.
If the unwashed stain can be detected (when it is pink) in the incoming linen and washed
in a white work formula with oxygen bleach, it will be successfully removed. Treatment
of Hibiclens stained linen with 8-12 oz./cwt of sodium thiosulfate for five minutes (hot)
prior to the regular wash also has successfully removed these stains. We attempted this
in the lab and observed a significant lightening of the stain, but noted that if the item was
retreated in a mild chlorine bleach wash cycle that the brown stain intensified again.
Attached to this document is information from a website from Regent Medical, the
manufacturer of Hibiclens. They have warnings on the laundering, and a
recommendation for stain removal. However, we have had little to no success in
removing the stains from chlorhexidine gluconate, and we highly recommend either
converting all bleach operations to oxygen bleach or convincing the healthcare operation
to convert to another skin antiseptic product.
Hibiclens® Laundry Instructions
The following information is from the Regent Medical website:
http://www.regentmedical.com/americas/hibiclens_laundry.html
IMPORTANT LAUNDERING ADVICE FOR HOSPITAL STAFF AND OTHER
USERS OF ANTISEPTIC PATIENT SKIN PREPARATIONS CONTAINING
CHLORHEXIDINE GLUCONATE
Chlorhexidine gluconate is a unique agent that closely fits the definition of an ideal
antimicrobial agent, having (among others) one of the most important characteristics of
persistent activity. This persistence is due to chlorhexidine gluconate binding to the protein of
the skin and, thus, being available for residual activity over a relatively long period of time.
Chlorhexidine gluconate, however, binds not only to protein of the skin, but also to many
fabrics, particularly cotton. Thus, special laundering procedures should be considered when
such products contact these fabrics. As a result of such contact, chlorhexidine gluconate
may become adsorbed onto the fabric and not be removed by washing. If sufficient available
chlorine is present during the washing procedure, a fast brown stain may develop due to a
chemical reaction between chlorhexidine gluconate and chlorine.
SUGGESTED LAUNDERING PROCEDURES TO LIMIT STAINING
1. Not Aging. Avoid allowing the product to age (set) on unwashed linens.
2. Flushing and Washing. A flush operation as the initial step in the wash process is helpful
in the laundering of linen exposed to chlorhexidine gluconate. Such flushing is also important
in the laundering of linen which contains organic materials such as blood or pus. For best
results, warm water flushes (90°-100°F) are recommended. After a number of initial flushings
followed by a washing with a low alkaline/non-chlorine detergent, most articles which come
in contact with chlorhexidine gluconate should have an acceptable level of whiteness. If a
rewash process using bleach is necessary to achieve a greater degree of whiteness, the
bleach used should be non-chlorine bleach.
3. Not Using Chlorine Bleach. Modern laundering methods often make the use of chlorine
bleach unnecessary. It is worthwhile trying to wash without chlorine to ascertain if the
resulting degree of whiteness is acceptable. Omission of chlorine from the laundering
process can extend the useful life of cotton articles since oxidizing bleaches such as chlorine
may cause some damage to cellulose even when used in low concentration.
4. Changing to a Peroxide-Type Bleach, Such as Sodium Perborate, Sodium
Percarbonate or Hydrogen Peroxide. This should eliminate the reaction that could occur
with the use of chlorine bleaches. If a chlorine bleach must be used, a concentration of less
than 7 ppm available chlorine (1/10 the normal bleach level) is suggested to minimize
possible staining.